One Year Later

Well, here it is, the one year anniversary diagnosis. Ava will be one year old in just a few days and I feel great – hopeful for the future, not just her, Mitra’s, Ava’s and Kian’s, but mine also.

In the year that’s passed, we’ve moved from Spain to the U.K., where we rented a house for 6 months and then finally moved into our new home.

There hasn’t been anything to report since the last scan I had in Madrid, at least not as far as the M.S. goes, anyway. Six weeks after we’d moved back to the U.K, we had all registered with
our local DRs surgery. Whilst there, I asked about the referrals system in the U.K. and was told that I’d be put on the register and an appointment would be made.

When I finally got the appointment letter, it was for the 25th February, nearly 5 months after I’d seen my local DR and requested the initial referral.

I drove through for the appointment and, expecting a long wait, I went ready with my kindle. I was checked in to the hospital around 10 minutes before the appointment and I’d sat down only
for a couple of minutes and I was then called through.

After the by now, regularish type exam where my reflexes, balance, hand-eye coordination were tested and finally, sensitivity, where the bottom of my feet were scratched (here’s a tip for
you, clean feet and non-fluffy socks), I started to recount the history that had brought me to this day.
This is I think, about the 10th time between the different DRs, hospitals, services and it’s amazing how blase you get to be about it all, whether it’s down to the repeated tellings, the coming to terms with it or something else.

Actually, because I’ve had no other symptoms, and because all I’m doing a a mild change to the diest and supplementing with some vitamins (previous posts), it’s almost too easy to relax overly much. A couple of days of not taking any pills here or there, the odd ‘taste’ of some fatty foods and a bit of being a touch blase
about it, made me wonder if I was perhaps being a little too relaxed.

I’ve not gone wild – you know, and had cheese or anything, but I have eaten a little red meat (some minced beef in a bolognaise) and a few bits of ham.
Devil.

The diet I follow recommends cutting out all red meat, not but because it is particularly bad for you, rather that it is very difficult to modulate how much saturated fat is being taken
in. I am still being fairly cautious though and occasionally have a carb free day also. My weight has re-stabilised at around 80kg too.

When we came back over, my weight picked up a bit from the 80kg to 82.5kg. This is probably because I wasn’t walking quite as much although in Madrid, I was having a three course meal every lunchtime.
It’s easy to draw comparisons between the provision of services (MRIs and Lumbar Punctures) within the private healthcare system (which I was part of in Spain), and the NHS state provision
in the U.K. In the U.K., the approach is a little different of course, and the in the main, rely more on treating when more obvious symptoms arise.
As the DR I saw in the Queen Alexandra’s Unit in Portsmouth said, “We don’t prescribe medication unless there have been at least two debilitating episodes in the past 12 months.”

In Spain, they’d suggested that any two episodes within 12 months would be “on the cusp” of qualifying for prescription medicines and additionally, under the private health system, follow-
up MRI’s were prescribed every six months.
Also, in Spain, I’d never had to wait for anything more than a week (apart from occasional mix-ups between appointment) and so booking an initial referral that would only take place five
months later, for something that’s listed as a chronic disease, was quite the eye-opener.

Well, I’m here now – better make the most of it.

I met someone else at work who’s also been diagnosed with MS (11 years ago). She said to me that I must remain positive about being an MS sufferer.

I only half-agreed as I feel that I remain positive so that I do not become a sufferer at all.

Anyway, feeling fit, looking pretty good for it too and assuming no change between now and my next appointment, this blog will probably be going dark for a year.
All the best to you all,

Geoff.